Avast cites unsecured WiFi usage as reason to release new VPN client

VPN (virtual private network) clients have been around for sometime, and are utilized by many corporations. It is a technology that individual users should also take advantage of. Avast hope to make that security option a trend with a new effort to help the average user be more secure when using a laptop or other mobile device at the local Starbucks.

Citing a survey the company carried out, Avast has announced it is now releasing its own VPN client, called SecureLine. The company claims that it polled 340,000 users and 46 percent of worldwide respondents connect via public WiFi. The security firm also listed such numbers as “29 percent in the UK perform security-sensitive transactions such as shopping or online banking despite the risk of hackers accessing their credentials”.

To answer this growing need, Avast announces “We developed SecureLine due to growing demand from our customers”. According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer Vincent Steckler, “half of PC users in the US access unsecured WiFi hotspots. And, about a third of them perform security-sensitive transactions – such as shopping, banking, or anything requiring a password”

SecureLine is now seamlessly integrated into all of Avast’s free and premium products, and when customers connect to unsecured WiFi, they will receive a message that provides them with some insight into the risks of using public and unsecured WiFi, as well as the choice of a secure VPN connection — at a cost of $7.99 per month.

With Avast now claiming usage on more than 184 million computers worldwide, the addition of more secure connections could make a noticeable difference, but it comes down to customer behavior and habits to really make a major impact. That, I am afraid, will not be improving anytime soon.